China offers Thailand collaboration on missiles, armoured vehicles

Chinese defence companies are offering Thailand partnership status on a range of military platforms on show at the Defense & Security 2013 exhibition in Bangkok.

Officials from state-owed Poly Technologies and the China National Precision Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CPMIEC) told IHS Jane's that the two companies are engaged in preliminary discussions with Thai defence authorities over potential collaboration on several land- and sea-based military systems.

These include CPMIEC's HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system - known as FD-2000 in its export configuration - which was selected in October by Turkey to meet that country's T-Loramids air defence requirement. Other equipment comprises the FL-3000N ship-based surface-to-air missile system and the FK-1000 mobile air defence system, both marketed by CPMIEC, as well as Poly Technologies' mine-resistant, ambush-protected CS-VP3 vehicle.